Digital watermarking is a process for modifying physical or electronic media to embed a machine-readable code into the media. The media may be modified such that the embedded code is imperceptible or nearly imperceptible to the user, yet may be detected through an automated detection process. Most commonly, digital watermarking is applied to media signals such as images, audio signals, and video signals. However, it may also be applied to other types of media objects, including documents (e.g., through line, word or character shifting), software, multi-dimensional graphics models, and surface textures of objects.
Digital watermarking systems typically have two primary components: an encoder that embeds the watermark in a host media signal, and a decoder that detects and reads the embedded watermark from a signal suspected of containing a watermark (a suspect signal). The encoder embeds a watermark by altering the host media signal. The reading component analyzes a suspect signal to detect whether a watermark is present. In applications where the watermark encodes information, the reader extracts this information from the detected watermark.
Several particular watermarking techniques have been developed. The reader is presumed to be familiar with the literature in this field. Particular techniques for embedding and detecting imperceptible watermarks in media signals are detailed in the assignee's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,862,260 and 6,614,914, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Some applications require that a vast number of media signals (e.g., images, video or audio files) each be encoded with unique watermark identifiers. Examples of applications include embedding an identifier in media signals to link them to a network resource for metadata linking (e.g., linking content to a unique web site), for forensic tracking of digitally distributed content, for broadcast monitoring, etc. In such applications, there may be several customers, each requiring large batches of identifiers (IDs). As such, there is a need for an accurate and efficient way of assigning IDs.
Such applications can also create a bottleneck in the content creation and distribution workflow due to the processing resources and time needed to embed unique identifiers into many media signals. There is a need, therefore, for automated processes for facilitating batch embedding of identifiers into media content.
The invention provides methods and systems for batch identifier registration and embedding into media content. While particularly adapted to digital watermark embedding, these methods and systems may be applicable to other forms of encoding identifiers and other metadata in large batches of media files.
Further features will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.